The Evolution of Past and Present
by Kylie Corson
Summary: Post Gemini of the Meteor/ Hei and Mao are now working with Misaki and her team at the new Syndicate. When a new contractor recruits them, will Misaki figure out her motives, along with her connection to Hei? Chapters have varying length.
1. Chapter 1

Reviews are welcome, even appreciated. Criticism, good or bad, I welcome it all.

Thanks for reading!

Chapter 1

Misaki did all she could do in the situation: follow him into the store. They were supposed to be staking out places where he thought one of his former coworkers, for lack of a better word, would show up, but so far the only places they watched were supermarkets.

"They've got to get food sometime," was Hei's reasoning. Misaki wasn't convinced. Not once had they stepped out of her car to check the store out. That is, until today.

He hadn't even said anything, just got out of the car and crossed the street to the entrance. It took Misaki by surprise, and she had to run in order to catch up with him.

They went up in down the aisles, Hei not glancing at the items, but at the people. He paused in the candy aisle, picked up a bag, and turned his head toward the entrance. After about a minute just standing there, he turned and walked back two aisles that they had previously viewed.

Once again he picked up an item, busying himself by reading the ingredients. Misaki suppressed her urge to ask him what they were doing when she heard a voice.

"Um, sir?" The speaker was a short Chinese woman, probably in her mid-twenties, who looked nervous as she approached Hei. "Would you mind grabbing me a couple boxes of that rice?" She asked while pointing to the top shelf. "I'm afraid I'm too short to reach it." she said with both a smile and embarrassment.

"Sure," Hei easily retrieved the boxes and handed them to the woman.

"Thank you so much, sir," she said with a small bow, then turned and walked to the registers, Hei's eyes following her.

They returned to roaming the aisles. He chatted with some middle-aged women in the fresh vegetable section and exchanged pleasantries with the cashier. All they purchased was a new type of candy bar on sale.

They went back to the car, and Hei returned to staring at the supermarket. Misaki couldn't stand it anymore. "Okay, why now of all days did we go in there? Was there a contractor? Did we make contact?" Hei only nodded his head. "Well? Which one was it? The cashier?"

He sat back and heaved a heavy sigh. "Let's go back to head quarters."

With a huff, Misaki started the car and drove back to base, her knuckles white from gripping the steering wheel so hard.

They entered the building and walked to their little patch of desks. Saito, Kono and Matsumoto huddled in a circle, laughing instead of working. As soon as they saw Misaki, the men hurried back to their desks and tried to look busy. She sighed and tried to look disappointed, but inside she was truly happy to have the old team back together, even if they were no longer working for the police.

Misaki sat down angrily at her desk and looked at Hei. He casually typed a few things into his computer then leaned back in his chair. Despite becoming a member of the New Syndicate a few months ago, he still didn't quite fit in.

"So, did you two find anyone, chief?" Saito asked expectantly.

"Yeah, but _he_ won't say who." Misaki glared at the contractor while he continued to stare at his screen. "If you won't say which person in the store it was, will you at least tell me which contractor?"

Without looking away from his computer, Hei said, "CL-413."

There was a sharp intake of breath from everyone as they considered that new piece of information. The star had been active during a string of assassinations and had recently be tracked to the Tokyo area. Other than that, the contractor was a complete unknown. The only ones who knew any information were Hei and Mao.

Hei clearly wasn't going to reveal anything, and Mao only had a little knowledge.

"I thought the guy was dead, killed by his own sister in fact." the cat said while cleaning his paws. At Misaki's questioning look, he continued. "His sister was also a Syndicate agent. A human one. She started a year or so before Hei and actually trained him. Soon they rivaled each other for the position of top agent. You know how Hei is called the "Black Reaper"? They called this girl "Death's Shadow". Anyway, CL-413 went rogue, and she killed him."

The rest of the day in the office went by uneventful until it was time to go out in search of contractors. Hei, dressed as the Black Reaper wandered through the city on the tops of buildings while Misaki and her team drove through the streets. Once or twice she thought she saw a dark figure watching, but never got a good look at the person.

They found no sign of contractor activity. Around one in the morning, Misaki decided they could stop for the night. They guys went home, and she returned to head quarters. Hei was already there, putting away his equipment.

"Mao tells me that you and CL-413's sister were rivals in the old Syndicate. That true?" Misaki pushed for more information, but Hei maintained his silence. "He also tells me that CL-413 is dead, but I talked with Kanami, and she said that the star is still there. Do you know what that's about?" He continued as if she didn't exist. "You're not going to tell me anything, are you?" He walked away and as if in answer, raised his hand and gave her a small wave.

Misaki watched him as he disappeared into the elevator going down to the lower levels where he was assigned to sleep. She felt bad for him sometimes, having to sleep in the same place where he was forced to work. It was one of the conditions when he joined the team.

While driving to her apartment, Misaki's thoughts wandered back to Hei. It was just four months after the Izanami incident when they finally caught BK-201. He was sitting at a makeshift grave, staring at the headstone that read no name. According to Mao, it belonged to Izanami, or Yin as they called her. He didn't put up any resistance what-so-ever, didn't say a word.

They kept him locked up in his little room for three months before the head of the new Syndicate, Kobayashi, went in to talk with him. When he came back out, they had a new team member. It made them all nervous, especially after all the time they had spent trying to capture him. Part of their job was making sure he didn't step out of line, but they needn't worry. He never did anything worthy of reprimand. He just went through the motions of the day.

According to Mao, Hei wasn't himself. "He was never really a talker, but he was never this silent. Plus, he's not eating as much as he normally does."

It was already three in the morning. If Misaki wanted any sleep, she would have to stop thinking about contractors, at least for the moment.


	2. Chapter 2

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Once again, thanks for reading!

Chapter 2

The next day Misaki and Hei did not stake out a grocery store. He fiddled with his computer, watching street cameras in hopes of glimpsing a contractor.

Around two in the afternoon, Misaki received an alert on her computer: someone unauthorized was coming through the door to their building.

"Hey, chief? Did you get an alert about the front door, too? Kono pointed to his computer. In answer, Misaki opened her top left desk drawer and took out her gun. The others followed suit, except for Hei who continued to watch his screen.

Misaki went to the door and peeked into the hallway. She heard the tapping of heels before seeing the young woman wearing them. She was a young Chinese woman, the one she and Hei saw in the supermarket, but there was something different about her.

Her clothes had changed from casual to a business suit, complete with a briefcase, and there was an air of confidence that she did not appear to have the other day.

Misaki stepped into the hallway, pointed her gun at the woman, and said in her most commanding voice, "Freeze!" The woman didn't even flinch, only moved out of the way in order to avoid a collision with her.

"I'll shoot if you don't freeze," said Misaki with her gun following the intruder. Still, the woman ignored her.

She drew a deep breath and fired. The bullet sailed past the woman's head and impacted the wall behind her. How did that happen? Misaki was a near perfect shot and had aimed between the woman's eyes.

The intruder walked briskly past Misaki without giving her so much as a glance. Gun still raised, Misaki felt a body brush past her and start following the woman. Hei maintained a distance of about six feet behind her, his hands casually in his pockets as if he expected nothing to go wrong.

Misaki in turn followed him, then sensed Saito, Kono, and Matsumoto following her.

The woman stopped in front of the director's door and knocked three times.

Kobayashi opened the door and clearly confused, said, "How may I help you, miss?"

The woman pulled a piece of paper from her briefcase and handed it to him. "I'm here about a job. I think you'll find that I meet all the qualifications."

After quickly reading the paper, he said, "Well, come on in, and we'll discuss it," He stood aside, allowing her to pass into his office. "Chief Kirihara and company, you may put your guns away. This is a peaceful meeting." With those last words, he shut the door.

Hei leaned against the wall facing the door, a small grin playing at his lips. He must have known this was coming. Of all the things Misaki hated, being out of the loop was top five material.

Almost half an hour later, the door opened. The woman stepped out looking quite pleased with herself.

"If you'll wait out here for a few minutes, I'd like to speak with Chief Kirihara," the woman nodded as the director spoke, and Misaki entered his office shutting the door behind her.

Just as she opened her mouth, the director held up a hand. "Before you say anything, why don't you give me a chance to explain everything first, and then you can ask questions."

Misaki sat down in the chair facing him, crossed her legs, and gave him her full attention.

"Her name is Lan, or at least that's what she calls herself. She's a contractor and former Syndicate agent. Somehow she was able to hack into our system and obtain top secret information on our involvements. She seems quite willing to work here for the good of our goals and has made only one request in her employment."

"What was the request? And why did she say she was willing to work with us? What's her ability?" Misaki questioned rapidly.  
>"She didn't mention her powers, just the fact that she's a contractor. She said that she hardly remembers a time when she wasn't in the control of a higher institution for contractors, and that hunting contractors for us is better than being hunted by us. As for her request, apparently she owns a home and would like to keep living there with all of its contents in place."<p>

"So in other words, we can't take away whatever's in the house now." she leaned back in the chair and folded her arms

"Precisely. I haven't agreed to anything yet, although it would be nice to have another contractor working for us, not that Hei and Mao aren't efficient. I told her that she would have sort of an audition before I offered a job."

"What kind of audition?"

The director placed his chin upon his folded hands and smiled. "Catch a contractor, of course."


	3. Chapter 3

Gracias para leer.

Chapter 3

Ten minutes later when she came out of the office, the woman, Lan, and Hei were chuckling, obviously sharing a private joke. Saito, Kono and Matsumoto just watched them warily, clearly not trusting either of the contractors.

"We won't begin until after dark, so why don't you wait in the office area with the others, Lan," the woman nodded, and the director shut the door. Together she and Hei walked down the hall to the cluster of desks.

When they disappeared, the three men rounded on Misaki.

"What did the director say, chief?"

"Who is that woman?"

"What's going on?"

Misaki held up a hand in order to silence the questions. "She's a contractor formerly of the Syndicate. If she catches another contractor, she'll be part of the team. That's the jist of it, anyway." Looking down the hall, she frowned slighly. "What were those two laughing about?"

The three agents looked at one another. It was Matsumoto who answered. "Something about skinny dipping." At Misaki's raised eyebrow, he put his hands up in defense. "We didn't understand it either, chief."

"Well, what were they talking about before?"

Saito hesitated, then said, "Nothing. After you went into the office, she just stood next to Hei, staring at the door. It was really awkward for a while, kind of like there was some tension between the two. Then she said it reminded her of skinny dipping. I'm not sure what 'it' was, but that's all that happened."

Looking once more down the hall, Misaki sighed. "We better go make sure they aren't up to no good."

With that, the four humans walked to the cluster of desks. There they found Hei back at his chair and Lan leaning against the wall with her head bowed and eyes shut. Upon their entrance, Hei looked up and made a shushing motion. He then pointed at the woman and then folded his hands together and rested his head against them, clearly signing that she was asleep.

Saito glanced at the leaning figure and said loudly, "Oh, come on. There is no way that she's sleeping."

Lan lifted her head and stretched out her neck while saying, "Not anymore." She walked to the other side of the room and pulled a chair over to their little group.

Misaki and her subordinates found their way back to their desks and tried to continue their work, all while stealing glances at the newcomer.

After half an hour, the new contractor stood up and said, "We haven't been properly introduced yet, and I'm tired of the awkward silence. I am Lan. And who are you?" she looked at each person in turn, except Hei.

"Misaki Kirihara."

"Yutaka Kono."

"Kunio Matsumoto."

"Yusuke Saito."

"Well, it is a pleasure to meet you all. With that formality set aside, we can get to know each other."

Saito snorted. "You don't even know if you'll be working here. There is a condition to your employment, remember?

Lan smiled wryly. "I'm pretty confident in my abilities."

"Well, if you're in a sharing mood, were you actually sleeping when we walked in here?"

"Yep," she said nodding her head. "It's something I learned unofficially while in the Syndicate: sleep at a moment's notice, but sleep lightly."

"So how long were you in the Syndicate?" Kono chimed in.

She tilted her head slightly, thinking. "Hmm. I guess somewhere around eight years." She glanced at Hei, and he nodded his head. "Yeah, eight years."

Misaki leaned back in her chair and considered the woman. "You don't seem that old. How old were you when you started working for them?"

"I was fifteen." she laughed. Hei gave her a sideways glance.

Matsumoto started. "They let you join that young?"

Laughing out loud, she explained, "No, of course not. Do you think they wanted a bunch of hormonal teenagers running around trying to complete missions? Ha! No, I lied. I've always been handy with a computer, so I made a fake birth ceritficate and created a whole back story."

"Why did you join?"

Her smile disappeared and was replaced with a look of melancholy. "I had my reasons. More than that I won't say."

"Did you kill many people?" Saito clearly wasn't trying to be tactful.

The smile she gave was an ironic one. "I don't believe there was a single member of the Syndicate who hadn't killed at least once."

"Do you remember the first person you killed?"  
>Her expression turned thoughtful. "Yes. I think he had brown eyes. It was during a mission, so I didn't have time to dwell on it." At her words, Hei closed his eyes and put his head in his hands.<p>

Just at that moment, Mao walked in. "So I hear we have a new recruit." He looked Lan up and down, then said, "Well, hello there. And who might you be?"

"Careful with this one, Mao," Hei warned.

She only laughed, then knelt down to greet the cat contractor. "I'm Lan. Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine," he reached his paw up to her outstretched hand.

Misaki glanced at the clock on her computer, then looked outside. It was only five and already dark. That was one good thing about winter; night lasted longer, which gave them more time to search for contractors.

"All right, team, it's time to head out." With those words, they all filed out of the room. The men all headed to their locker room while Lan followed Misaki to the women's.

As Misaki strapped on her gun, Lan changed out of her business clothes into a pair of tight, black pants and a black tube top, both of which looked leather.

Feeling Misaki's eyes on her, Lan tapped her clothing and said, "Bulletproof." She put on a silver belt that held an array of weapons, many similar to the ones Hei uses.

"Are those shoes really necessary?" Misaki leaned against the lockers and considered the black boots with four-inch heels.

Lan laughed. "They are a bit ridiculous but useful nonetheless." She tapped the back of one against the bench and a blade popped out of the heel. She tapped the inside of the shoe, and a blade came out of the toe. Lastly she tapped the outside of the shoe, and both blades popped back into place.

She pulled up her hair and fastened it so that a bit stuck up in the back. Finally she put on a coat that resembled Hei's but was understandably more feminine. She pulled out a mask, one that looked like Hei's, but instead of the lightning bolt, there was a zigzag running across the face.

They exited the locker room and met up with the men in the hall.

"All right. Mao, you're with Lan. Don't get separated." Misaki handed the female contractor an earpiece. "We'll communicate using these."

"That's fine with me," said Mao while giving a small purr.

"Just make sure you keep up." Lan's teasing tone remained while she pulled on the mask.

As soon as they disappeared up the stairs to the roof, Misaki turned to Hei. "Follow them closely, but don't let her know. When she finds a contractor, let her deal with it. If she tries anything funny, don't hesitate to take her out."

Hei nodded his comprehension and followed the path to the roof, his earpiece already in place.

Misaki turned to the other three agents. "I gave her a piece just like Hei's. It'll pick up anything she says. Listen for any codes she might use. There's also a GPS in it, so make sure to track her. Like I told Hei, don't help her capture the contractor. We need to know if she was telling the truth, and maybe we'll find out her ability in the process."

The men nodded, and the four headed out to their cars. Misaki directly followed the path Lan was taking.

Before turning on the audio feed, she called Kanami. "Hey, I need you to keep close tabs on all active stars tonight, even if they only show a glimmer. Watch for CL-413 especially."

"Is there a particular reason why?" was the scientist's question.

"I'll tell you later," with that Misaki hung up and returned her focus to the mission.

Through the audio feed she heard Lan's laugh. "Come on, Mao! You heard what Kirihara said. We have to stick together."

Panting, Mao replied, "You're worse than Hei. How can you have that much stamina?"

"Well if you're having problems, hop on board," Lan giggled.

"On your shoulders?"

"Yeah. Be sure to hang on."

After that exchange, Misaki heard Mao yell with both surprise and indignation. He continued to make similar noises for a few minutes with Lan chuckling in the background.

"Uh, I think I'm gonna be sick," she heard Mao say.

"Hey, don't you dare puke on me. I promise it will not end well. Besides, we're here."

"Where is here exactly?"

"Gang banger haven. Can you think of a better place to find contractors? Everyone knows they're hired for protection."

"Hey, why are you taking off your mask?" Mao asked in surprise.

"They'll shoot me dead if I try to get in there wearing it. At least I'll have a better chance of getting in without resistance. Now when we go down there, Mao, I'm gonna need you to act like a normal cat. Got it? Don't draw any attention to yourself."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm not an amateur." the cat grumbled.

There was silence over the audio for a minute, then Misaki heard knocking and the opening of a door.

"Yes?" came the deep voice of man.

"I'm here to see Anas Henderson. He may also be called Uaine." Misaki was parked across the alleyway and saw the exchange. Lan entered the pub with Mao at her feet.

Once again she would have to rely on the audio feed. It was hard to know the specifics of a situation when only being able to hear it, not see it.

"Wait here," said the doorman's voice.

It was fifteen minutes before anything was said.

"I can't believe it!" came a man's voice, Scottish judging by the accent. "My lady, my love! Of all the people I expected to show up here asking for me, you were at the bottom of the list. This is a great surprise! What are you doing here?"

"I was actually hoping to speak with you privately. Away from prying ears." Lan's tone was as light as the man's.

"Of course, my flower. I know of a park just a little way from here. It is a beautiful sight and should be rather empty due to the chilly weather."

"Not so fast, freak. Did you forget you work for me, you filthy contractor?" A new voice came into the mix. "I don't care if you want to go out somewhere with your little girlfriend. I'm the one who feeds you and puts a roof over your head, so if you want to remain in my good graces, you'll stay right where you are!"

"Clearly, you forget who has the real power here, boss," Uaine's voice returned, but was polar opposite of the light tone he had when speaking with Lan. "I have the power to kill you in an instant, if I so desired. So I suggest you remember this, and remember it well."

"Are you coming or not?" Lan said impatiently.

"Of course, my dear. Here, let me get the door for you. Are you warm enough? That wind blows right through you." his cheerful tone came back.

Misaki witnessed them leave the pub, Uaine's hand wrapped around Lan's shoulders. He looked a bit shorter than Hei with reddish blond hair and a green suit. To her, he kind of looked like an overgrown leprechaun.

Not wanting to seem conspicuous, Misaki didn't follow them right away; she just watched Lan's dot on the GPS. Mao walked a few paces behind the two. Hei's dot was almost on top of hers; he must be on top of a nearby building.

They walked in silence, even after reaching the park. Misaki gave the orders to Saito, Kono, and Matsumoto to all be on different corners of the green acreage. She found herself in the best vantage point to see the two sit on a park bench.

"So, love, why did you seek me out?" Uaine's voice was soft as he spoke. Misaki thought she saw him brush a strand of hair from Lan's face.

"Maybe I was feeling nostalgic." Could contractors feel nostalgia?

At that, he gave a sad chuckle. "How much I would love to believe that, you do not know."

"You don't believe me?"

"Lan," he said her name for the first time all night. "For a human, you were always pretty emotionless." Wait, did he just say human? "More than once, I thought you may be a mutated doll, one with more personal freedom. You never allowed yourself to have connections with others, even when that's what they wanted most. Please don't insult me by lying." His last words were filled with bitterness.

Lan sighed deeply before answering. "I joined another organization, once again catching contractors who march to the illegal drum."

"Ha! And you don't think the assassinations of humans that you've been doing are illegal?"

"If you've been paying that close attention to my work, then you would have noticed that each death was of a crime boss or one of his underlings. I get paid by governments to do those killings."

"So now you've signed with a new organization and have to capture me," Uaine leaned forward on his knees. "Where's the rest of your team?"

"No team, just me."

At this, he stood up and started laughing. "No team? Darling, you were arguably the best agent in the Syndicate, but you and I both know you don't stand a chance alone."

"I guess we'll just have to see, won't we?" she stood up and faced him, her hands casually in her pockets.

Once again he laughed, then backed up a few paces from her. "I don't want to kill you, love." He knelt down and picked up a few small rocks.

"I don't want to kill you either," Lan said while removing a blade from her belt.

"You want to capture me though, right? Put me in a cage? That's death in and of itself." The two began circling each other. "I won't let myself be another organization's pet."

"Then I suppose there's nothing left to say," Lan stopped circling and moved into a defensive position.

The rocks in his hand started floating in the air, and he started glowing with syncrotron radiation.

In an instant, rocks were flying from every direction, each one trying to make contact with Lan but failing to do so. Her movements were similar to those of a dancer. In fact when the rocks stopped, she performed a pirouette, much to the amusement of the panting Uaine.

He walked over to a tree and pulled off one of the branches. "You, my dear, have always had a sense of humor." After those words, Misaki heard him grunt in pain.

He gave a shaky laugh. "I'm surprised you don't attack while I'm making my payment."

"That would be rude, but I could, if you so desired," teased Lan.

The air filled with rocks once more, but this time, Lan didn't stray away from them. Instead, she dodged and ducked, moving closer and closer to Uaine.

Apparently he, too, noticed her advancement. The barrage of rocks intensified, but she continued to get closer to him. In a moment, she lunged toward him, then rolled away. When she lifted herself into a crouching position, the metal lid of a trash can sailed behind her head, blocking a rock that would have made contact.

She stood up straight, and Misaki heard over the audio, "Ready for pick up, Kirihara."

Uaine's laugh was loud, almost manic. "What do you mean by that? If you didn't notice you only cut my clothes, not my skin." His laughing slowed down, and he collapsed into the grass.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for any support! Please review.

Chapter 4

When Misaki and her team reached the park bench, they found Hei checking Uaine's pulse while Mao sniffed him and Lan returning the lid to its trash can.

"Is he alive?" Misaki asked Hei. He stood up and nodded his head.

"What did you do to him?" questioned Kono as he stared at Lan.

She held up what looked like an adrenaline shot for allergic reactions. "It contained a powerful sedative," she answered. "He'll be out for at least four hours and have a killer headache when he wakes."

"Let's get back to HQ," ordered Misaki. "Saito and Kono, you'll transport the contractor. Matsumoto, follow them closely. And you three," she turned to the contractors. "Stay on either side of the street of their cars. Make sure no one is following us."

The group nodded, and Misaki headed back to her car. Immediately, she phoned Kanami.

"Okay, which contractors were active about ten minutes ago?"

"What, no friendly greeting or a 'how are you doing, Kanami'? Sheesh, I'm starting to think you only love me for my work."

"Sorry, Kanami, but this is urgent."

"I know, I know. I'm just teasing. SM-672 went crazy around that time, but isn't active now."

"And what about CL-413?" asked Misaki anxiously.

"Um, let me check." Kanami's casualness, while a nice counter to Misaki's strict personality, sometimes got on her nerves. "Just a small glimmer. Nothing compared to SM-672."

"Alright. Thanks, Kanami." Misaki hung up and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Uaine said that Lan was a human. Could she be lying about being a contractor? But Hei said they made contact with CL-413 in the supermarket, and that's where they first saw her. Not to mention the bullet Misaki shot at her during their second encounter. So she could be a contractor, just not CL-413.

That is when Misaki made her resolve. Kobayashi said that if Lan captured a contractor, which she did, then she'd be part of the team, but Misaki wouldn't take her unless she got some answers first.

She arrived at head quarters before the others, so she took the opportunity to go straight to the director's office. He wasn't there.

She walked down the hall to her desk. It was stupid for her to think that he would be there. He probably went home hours ago, like a normal person.

Oh well. It would give her more time to question Lan without his interference.

She heard Saito and Kono grumbling while the others filed into the room.

"Take him to the lower levels. Cell 5 should be sufficient to hold him."

"Right, chief," Saito grunted. Together he and Kono took the limp contractor to the elevator.

"All right, we need to make a file on him," Misaki turned to Lan. "You knew him, right? I'm gonna need you to tell me everything you know about him."

Lan nodded and began. "Codename: Uaine. His real name is Anas Henderson. He's from Glasgow, Scotland. His messier number is SM-672. His ability is to move rocks of all shapes and forms with his mind. The more the rock weighs and the more he has to move, the more energy he has to exert. His payment is shoving splinters under his nails. He has limited knowledge of hand-to-hand combat and is not well-versed in the use of guns. Anything else you want to know?"

After furiously typing all this information, Misaki inhaled deeply. "Yeah. We're gonna start a new file. Yours, in fact."

Lan sighed and started to rattle off her information. "Codename: Lan. My real name isn't important. The current alias I go by in the civilian world is Xia Chang. Messier number: CL-413. My ability is to manipulate metals. My payment has been paid. I am efficient in several forms of hand-to-hand combat and know how to fire a gun with accuracy. Is that all?"

"What do you mean, 'your payment has been paid'"

"Just what I said; I don't have to worry about my payment." There was a slight bitterness in her voice that Misaki didn't understand.

"You said your messier number was CL-413," Lan nodded. By then Saito and Kono returned. "According to Mao, that contractor is dead, killed by his own sister. But the star is still there."

The contractor glanced at Mao, then back at Misaki. "My brother was the first CL-413. After his," she paused for a moment. "death, I gained his ability."

"So you killed your own brother when you were still human, and that turned you into a contractor?"

"Yes." The longer the conversation lasted, the deader Lan's voice became.

At her answer, Saito shook his head in disgust and started packing his things. Matsumoto and Kono followed suit.

Sighing, Lan stood up and stretched. "I suppose we'll have to wait for the director to get back before reviewing my work." she walked to the doorway. "I'll go home for now and come back tomorrow."

Misaki stood up and said, "Hold it. You're not going anywhere." Lan turned around and raised an eyebrow in question. "You'll stay in the lower levels with the other contractors until we review your case."

"Oh, is that so?" Lan said dangerously.

At that moment, Hei walked out of the room and turned left toward the elevators, Mao at his feet.

Lan watched him with her eyes narrowed. Finally she sighed and followed him. From the hallway, Misaki heard her say loudly, "You know, Hei, if it wasn't for your sense of humor, you'd be long dead by now."

The four agents looked at one another. Then Kono broke the silence. "Hei has a sense of humor?"

While the others went home, Misaki stayed at her desk, her eyes glued to the screen. She was watching the video feeds from the lower levels.

Mao had already gone to his room. Hei and Lan were standing in the common area.

Hei glanced at her, then walked to the door of his room. "All the rooms are unused except this one and Mao's." He nodded his head in the direction of the only door with an animal entrance door.

"I think I'll just sleep on the couch," Lan answered. She removed her belt and her shoes, the surveyed her chosen sleeping place.

Hei entered his room, but left the door open. He returned to the common area with a white button-down shirt in hand, which he gave to Lan.

She looked down at the shirt, then back at Hei. "Thanks." She turned on the lamp next to the couch and piled pillows on the armrest closest to the light source.

"Do you do that out of habit?" Hei leaned against his doorframe and nodded at the lamp.

She smiled. "Just in case he's searching." She began undressing. Hei averted his eyes slightly, then after a few moments, went into his room and shut the door.

From the video feed in his room, Misaki saw him sit on his bed, his elbows on his knees, and his eyes staring blankly at the floor.

In the common area, Lan put Hei's shirt over her underwear and laid on the sofa, her legs tucked up in an obvious attempt to keep them warm. She angled her arm awkwardly so her hand was a few inches away from the bulb of the lamp.

Misaki waited half an hour, just watching Lan sleep and Hei stare off into space. After jerking herself awake for the second time, she finally decided to call it a night.


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you for the reviews! I appreciate any feedback, any at all!

Chapter 5

As always, Misaki was the first agent to arrive at the office. Hei was at his desk, and Lan was typing furiously at Misaki's.

"What are you doing?" She rushed over and looked over the contractor's shoulder.

"Updating. Your minute information on several contractors is dangerously ignorant." She continued typing, barely paying attention to Misaki.

There was a knock at the door, and she looked up to see Kobayashi standing there. "I'd like to speak with you, Kirihara."

With a glance back at Lan, Misaki sighed and followed him to his office.

After settling down in his office, the director placed his head atop his folded hands. Inhaling a deep breath, he opened his eyes and addressed Misaki, "Well?"

"She performed effectively, didn't once attract the notice of any outsiders. Still, if she has to work with us, I'd like to have her under close surveillance. For all we know, she could be a spy for an unknown agency."

"Other than your doubts, do you think she would be a productive member of the team?"

"Like I said, she's effective." Misaki sighed. "And frankly, we don't know when another incident involving Hell's Gate will come up, so it'd be better to have more people on our side."

Kobayashi nodded his agreement. He then reached into the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a key. "This belongs to the white van parked in front of the building opposite of us. In it is surveillance equipment: cameras, listening devices, the works. Your team will set these up on her property. I don't want a single inch of the place blind or deaf, not even the bathrooms. As an extra precaution, I've decided to place Hei and Mao in the house in order to have more eyes watching her."

Misaki's jaw dropped in surprise and indignation. "But, sir, housing our three contractors together will only-"

"Misaki, please," the director cut her off mid-complaint. "Can you honestly tell me that one of your men has a chance of taking her down by himself if she decides to go rogue?"

To that Misaki had no answer. Kobayashi stood and walked to the front of his desk.

"I wouldn't dwell on it, Kirihara," he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Don't forget that Mao will be watching both of them. If they plan something against us, I'm confident he'll let us know."

She bit her lip and relented. "You're the boss. May I go now?"

Kobayashi smiled and handed her the key. "Good luck, Kirihara."

She walked back to her desk, slightly irate. While having another team member was convenient, she didn't like how the director was so eager to hire her, especially after only one night of work.

Misaki did not trust Lan, not one bit. There are too many questions surrounding her. Where did she get the sedative that she used on Uaine? What is her connection to Hei? Why did she choose now to join with their team?

As she approached the desks, Misaki announced, "Hei, Mao, pack your things."

"Already done." the cat purred as he nodded his head to a duffle bag next to the door. "Lan was able to pull up the video feed from Kobayashi's office. We heard the whole conversation." he responded to Misaki's arched eyebrow.

She turned to glare at Lan, but the contractor was pointedly staring at her screen. Becoming more irritated, Misaki huffed over to her desk and grabbed her things. Noises from the hallway alerted her to the arrival of Saito, Kono, and Matsumoto.

"You three are in my car. Follow me." she said testily. Walking toward her three team mates, she tossed the key at Saito's chest. "White van across the street. You're to follow me closely."

The three men stared blankly at the key for a moment before hurrying to catch up with Misaki and the contractors.

"Lan, you take shotgun. I'll need directions to your place." she instructed. They waited until the men started the van before heading down the multi-laned street.

They rode in silence; the only sound was Lan quietly giving directions. Hei, who sat behind Misaki, stared out the window with his eyes out of focus. Mao was gripping the seat tenaciously with his claws so as not to be thrown around. Glaring at him in the rearview mirror, Misaki silently dared him to rip the upholstery.

Within half an hour, they left the bustling city center and entered a quiet residential area. They weaved through the roads for ten more minutes until Lan gave her final direction: "It'll be the seventh house on the left, the green one."

Misaki counted the houses until she reached number seven. She pulled up to the curb, and all four exited the car. Saito carefully parked the van behind them.

There was a short gate surrounding the property. The yard was covered with a thin layer of frost, but it was well-groomed and free of any litter. Remnants of hibernating plants rested close to the walls of the house and seemed to encircle it. The house itself was breathtaking, worthy of being on the cover of _Home and Garden_ magazine. The green paint would be an identical match to richly hydrated grass, and the window panes, a pale cream color, made the whole house pop.

Misaki's thoughts went to her shabby apartment, more specifically, the peeling paint. Feeling a slight pang of jealousy, Misaki turned away from the house to address her team. "We'll survey the house first before setting things up." She took a breath, preparing to continue, but was interrupted by a creaking noise.

Turning back to the house, she noticed the door slowly begin to open.


	6. Chapter 6

I appreciate all of my reviews. Never before have I realized how good it feels to have someone enjoy your story enough to comment on it.

Just a warning or two for this chapter: it's told from a different character's point of view (point of view subject to change, so readers are encouraged to read carefully), and I felt I had to torture readers with a cliffhanger. Bwwaahaahaahaahaahaa!

Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 6

In the doorway appeared a young boy of Chinese descent, about six years in age. His hair was shaggy, his bangs covering his blank eyes, and the rest of his face held no expression. Hei glanced over at Misaki and saw the hand that tightly gripped her pistol relax, though her eyebrow began to twitch with indignation.

The boy ran from the threshold toward Lan before wrapping his small arms around her waist. She laughed and hugged him back.

"Did you miss me? I'm sorry, Jin. I didn't mean to worry you." Her right hand smoothed his hair as he turned his head from her stomach in order to get a better look at Hei.

After releasing his guardian, the boy spun on his heel and ran back into the house, not even bothering to close the door. Lan's face appeared as if it couldn't decide whether to look confused or amused at Jin's behavior. Misaki looked cheated, and the other men were utterly flabbergasted.

Jin reappeared at the door holding a book. Instead of running, he walked down the path, passed Lan, and came to a halt in front of Hei. He then held the book out for Hei to inspect. Gently he removed the book from the boy's grasp and proceeded to look it over. It was a battered copy, but he could still read the faded title: _One Thousand and One Nights. _A bulb of realization flicked on in his memory.

"He remembers you." Lan's voice broke through buzzing of Hei's thoughts. Tearing his eyes from the book, he rested his gaze on the boy's face. His name was Jin. Yes, he now saw how the two-year-old doll he had known could grow into this boy.

Misaki, finally regaining her senses, rounded on Lan. "You never mentioned a child when we made our arrangement!" she almost shouted. "This changes everything. I'm going to have to call the director."

Lan shifted to face Misaki, her face calm but her eyes flashing dangerously. "I agree that the director should be made aware of Jin's existence, but I fail to see how this changes anything. If you remember our arrangement so well, then you know that the one condition of my employment was that everything within my house would remain and belong to me. Seeing as the boy was inside the dwelling when we agreed, he would fall into that category."

It had been three years since he had seen her, and yet she hadn't changed. She still twisted the rules and regulations to fit her own desires, always cajoling or manipulating anyone who found fault with her actions. He shook his head, a wry smile playing at his lips while he watched the two women stare daggers at each other.

"Uh, Ms. Chang?" Their attention was redirected to the four boys standing at the corner of Lan's property. The boys glanced anxiously at each of the adults, but their gaze lingered most on Lan.

Giving Misaki one last stare, Lan turned to the intruders, her mood immediately shifting from pissed-off momma bear to bubbly girl-next-door. "Hello, gentlemen. Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

Each of the boys looked nervous in his own right, but only one of the middle ones had the courage to speak. "Nah," he said. "Today's a holiday."

"That sounds wonderful! I'm incredibly, screamingly jealous!" she laughed, inviting her audience to share in the joke. "So, what can I do for you?" she asked sweetly.

The two on the end blushed furiously while the middle ones tried to maintain their cool. "We were just wondering if everything was okay." The speaker glanced first at the agents unloading the van, then to Misaki talking to the director before landing on Hei.

Upon seeing the boy's eyes narrow slightly, the Black Reaper decided it was his turn to play his part. Putting his arm around Jin's shoulders, he and the boy walked up to Lan.

"Are these our neighbors, Xia?" he asked cheerfully while placing his right arm around her waist.

Immediately understanding his angle, she snaked her arm behind his back and nodded in answer. Addressing the boys, she said, "I'd like you to meet Mr. Chang. He was recently promoted, so he won't be traveling as often for work. Jin and I are so proud, and it'll be nice to have him home."

All the boys certainly looked disappointed. Hei suspected that Lan had unknowingly been giving them the run-around. It seems that she had been an excellent actress in her neighborhood, portraying a kind and gentle person. No one would suspect her of being a pessimist, let alone a killing contractor. Fortunately, she saved her cynicism only for those she felt knew her best and her killing for those who she was assigned to terminate or people she felt deserved it.

After a moment of sulking, the leader of the boys spoke again, "And who are your guests?" he was clearly speaking out of polite curiosity instead of actual interest as he nodded to Saito and Kono carrying boxes into the house with Matsumoto directing them and Misaki still talking furiously on the phone.

"The woman is my coworker, and the men are from my company to set up some surveillance in our home, just for security precaution." Hei answered immediately. "We'd better go in and help them, don't you think?" he asked Lan.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want them accidentally breaking anything." she nodded in concurrence. "Well, we'll be seeing you gentlemen around. Have a wonderful time on your day off!"

With her last words, the ersatz family turned and made to enter the house. Misaki, upon realizing she was the last one left outside, hurried to follow Hei into the house.

After closing the door, the former police chief once again addressed Lan. "Back to the boy. I spoke with Director Kobayashi, and, for some reason, he agrees with you and your arrangement." Her eyes narrowed with annoyance, and she had to take a deep breath before continuing. "I'm assuming he's your son. Will we have to worry about the father any time soon? Who _is_ the father?"


	7. Chapter 7

Oh, readers, I apologize profusely for taking so long to update! Life decided to take a big hoary crap all over me, but I'm back in the game.

Destinies Entwined, this chapter was created thanks to your review. I am deeply indebted!

Everyone, please review. I do read them, and if you can't tell, I try to incorporate the notes I receive into my story.

Without further adieu, here's...

Chapter 7

The aggravating new contractor just gave her annoying little laugh at the chief's question. Saito certainly hoped that he did not have to spend much time with her during their upcoming employment, although he knew his wish was in vain. He had known the woman for what? Twenty-four hours? And already her entire _holier-than-thou _attitude made his trigger finger twitch. Instead of taking action, he just stood in the living room, panting under the weight of the boxes, while Lan had her laugh at Misaki's expense.

"I'm not sure who the father is." Saito couldn't help but snort at her admission, but quickly sobered at the look she gave him.

"It's not like that, so keep your mind clean!" she said indignantly while waving a finger at him. Saito felt his already flushed face turn a deeper shade of red. How dare she treat him like a chastened child! "Jin's not my biological son, but he's as good as! From what I know, his parents were never in the picture."

"Then how did you come across him? I certainly can't envision you at an adoption office filling out paperwork." Saito could barely contain a smile for his chief. She never pulled her punches, that woman.

"On a mission. A collection of rogue contractors were training him to be a tracker. Well, _attempting _to train him, I should say; he was only about two at the time. Normal humans don't understand much at that age, let alone dolls. Anyway, to make a long and bloody story short, I killed the rogues and took the kid back with me."

"So the killer has a heart." If the chief wasn't going to pull her punches, neither was he.

"The killer can sympathize with a little kid being all on his own." She smiled wryly as she moved to relieve him of the boxes. Saito expected her to stagger, at least a little, under their weight, but she merely shifted her hold and led them into the dining room. He felt a slight stab at his pride as he watched her handle the boxes without problem. "And for your information, contractors aren't completely unemotional. They just make decisions that'll make them less dead."

After setting the boxes on the table, she pulled a knife from under her skirt and opened each container. Saito wrinkled his nose at her indecency. He turned and saw Kono staring with his jaw slightly hanging and Matsumoto shaking his head. At least his older coworker understood.

Placing the knife back in its sheath, she stepped away from the boxes and folded her arms. "I'm sure you'll want to be the ones to set up the equipment, so Hei and I don't tamper with it," she said nodding at the men. "Right?"

Without waiting for answer, she directed the men into the kitchen and began pointing out the best vantage shots for the cameras. "I'd prefer if you started in here, so you won't be in my way when I'm cooking."

Saito looked to the chief for directions. She nodded her head and indicated with a twirling finger that she would remain with the contractors while the other agents set up the equipment. She moved to sit at the dining table with Mao. Saito took care to notice that she could clearly see both contractors from her place.

As soon as the last bug was in place, Lan immediately turned on her speakers, which then emitted a piano sonata. After adjusting the volume, she proceeded to put food and cooking utensils on every available surface.

Saito and his partners moved into the living room where Hei was reading from the battered book while the kid curled up next to him. Neither glanced up nor acted if they noticed the intrusion. Saito felt his eyebrows twitch in annoyance. Stupid, stuck-up contractor.

They moved through the house with as much speed as they could while still being precise. The place was tidy but obviously inhabited. A few toys littered the floor along with the occasional sock or shirt.

The only thing that set the interior of the house apart from all others was the ridiculous amount of light sources. At least one socket per outlet was invested with a plug that came either from a lamp or a nightlight. There were several flashlights in each room.

"D'you think they're afraid of the dark or something?" Kono asked. He pointed to a shelf in the hall closet that was devoted entirely to various light bulbs.

"Must be the way the doll sends out his specter," Saito murmured while examining his handiwork.

With their job finished, the agents went back to the living room. Hei was still reading to the kid, and Saito assumed from the sizzling sounds in the kitchen that Lan was still cooking. Misaki remained seated at the table, her eyes flicking from each contractor so fast that it looked like she was watching an intense game of tennis.

Matsumoto pulled out a laptop and typed in the codes to connect the security systems within the house. The humans gathered around the computer and checked each camera feed, double-checking that there wasn't a blind spot in the house. Kono went through each room to check the audio feeds. Only once the chief was certain of their success did the team pack away the remaining equipment.

Kirihara stood from her chair and entered the kitchen. "The house is completely wired. Each room has camera feeds, save the bathroom, but don't get any funny ideas; we have audio equipment in there so sensitive it can hear a heart beat."

The agents picked up the much-lighter boxes and moved toward the entrance. Lan moved to stand near the edge of the kitchen.

"You don't want to stay for food?" Her question was innocent enough, but Saito couldn't help but snort. Like he would eat anything she put in front of him.

"We have work to do back at headquarters, work that you're not needed for. Besides, your neighbors are certainly watching us, so it's better leave now and raise less suspicion."

Lan shrugged her shoulders and moved back to her cooking. The doll turned his head to watch their departure while Hei continued to read aloud.

As soon as they exited the house, the agents moved quickly to place the remaining cameras without the contractors' knowledge. One camera was installed at each corner of the fence along with audio bugs.

Only once they were on the road and Matsumoto had confirmed that all the equipment was fully operational did Saito let his shoulders relax.

Upon reaching headquarters, they set up a surveillance room dedicated to the contractor house. The cameras were designed to always keep a contractor in sight, so only four monitors were needed. With the touch of a button the audio feeds would connect to the speakers or headphones.

As always, the chief took the first shift. Saito volunteered for the one after hers, the one that started at 9 pm.

The men packed away their desks and BSed before leaving the office. After driving for a few minutes, Saito's stomach gave a loud rumble. Groaning, he pulled over to an unfamiliar market place and got out in search of food.

He walked half a block before halting to sniff the air. Hmm, he smiled, pork and vegetable stir fry with sesame sauce. The smile disappeared as he realized that the scent was almost identical to what Lan was cooking.

He decided instead to eat at a shabby ramen shop that clearly preferred speed to quality; the noodles were terrible. He ate the mush in silence while listening to the talk of the streets...

He was early for his surveillance shift, but he knew the chief wouldn't mind. Working at a constant 250% would get to her someday. She needed more sleep.

"Anything happen, chief?" he asked while setting his coffee down.

Kirihara sighed. "They ate dinner and are reading the kid a story. That's about it. They've hardly even spoken, just simple stuff like 'pass me the soy sauce.'"

She stood up and put a hand on his shoulder. Saito felt his face heat up slightly, but the chief was oblivious. "Make sure you keep a close eye on them. I want a report on everything they say, everything they do, even if it seems insignificant. We don't want them catching us off guard." Saito nodded his agreement, and Kirihara gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you."

She vacated the room, and Saito fell back into the chair, breathing heavily. His thoughts swam with thoughts of his chief before he remembered his duty.

Spinning the chair away from the door to face the monitors, he quickly assessed each target's condition. Mao was fast asleep in his little bed. Hei sat in the living room, staring at the blank television screen. Lan was tucking the doll in for bed, planting a small kiss on his forehead before closing the door. Saito noticed that she had changed from her formal clothes into shorts and a cami. She wandered out to the living room and sat on the arm of the chair kitty-corner to the sofa. Hei turned his body to face her. Saito quickly switched on the audio feed.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Hei spoke. "So, you decided to keep the kid."

Lan nodded. "I wasn't going to leave him to be taken advantage of." She answered kindly enough, but her voice rang with suspicion.

"And you named him 'Jin.' How ironic." Even though he wasn't in the room, Saito could feel the temperature drop ten degrees.

Lan waited a moment before responding carefully. "Despite what you may think, Hei, I did love my brother. I still love him. After his death-"

"You still can't say it, Lan," interrupted Hei with disgust. "You mean after you killed him and stole his power."

Lan gave him a hard look before continuing. "Fine. After I _killed _him, I was lost. I had nothing. I was a mindless murderer. I was a contractor. But when I found him," she nodded toward the doll's door. "I found myself again. I had something, someone to live for. What do you have, Hei?"

At her question, Hei's body instantly tensed, and he glared at her dangerously. "Watch yourself, Lan." he warned.

"You lost Pai, you lost Amber, and most recently, you lost Yin. What do you have left? Mao?" She smirked with a mixture of scorn and pity.

Within moments, Hei had his female counterpart pinned to the wall by her throat. She hadn't even put up a fight.

"You have no right! You have no right!" he sputtered, barely coherent. His eyes were wild, and he shook with anger.

"I'm just telling you the truth, Hei, and the truth hurts. You know as well as I." Her voice was strained as she struggled for air, yet she made no move to defend herself. "You have been like this before, and you know how dangerous it is. You need to wake up and get a hold of yourself."

Hei's countenance twisted in anguish before he released her neck. He then rested his head and hands against the wall next to her face. They were both breathing heavily.

"I'm sorry," Hei whispered, barely audible. Lan did not answer, but simply moved her arms around his neck. He remained still before returning her embrace.

When they released, Hei moved back to the couch while Lan went down the hallway to her room. After shutting the door, she fell onto the bed without bothering to slip under the sheets.

Hei spent the rest of the night sitting on the sofa and staring into nothingness.


	8. Chapter 8

I know, surprise, surprise. I'm still writing this story. This chapter is mostly a flashback, and at the end, I have a question for you readers/reviewers. I desperately need your input.

Anyway, here you go.

Chapter 8

As he sat on the couch in Lan's living room, Hei let his thoughts drift to the past, before the Izanami incident, before he came to Japan, before he lost everything...

_ He and fourteen other new agents had been assembled at the obstacle course to receive their first assignment: a senior agent would be assigned to help them integrate into the inner workings of the Syndicate. They were to go through the obstacle course while the other agents assessed their strengths and weaknesses._

_ They were supposed to begin at 8:00 am sharp, but so far, they had waited twenty minutes. While the fifteen newcomers had to stay at attention, the other agents were free to shuffle about and mutter angrily between themselves._

_ The door to the enclosed area slammed open and through the threshold came a tall figure leading a shorter one by the elbow. The tall man released the short woman and went back through the door._

_ The woman stumbled forward, rubbing her eyes like a child. In fact, she looked young. Way too young. Her hair was cropped short and stuck up in every direction. She had on a tank top and a pair of shorts, her feet left bare. One of the agents handed her a clipboard and a pencil. She then staggered over to the group of older agents, each looking at her distastefully._

_ "Now that we're all here," their primary instructor said. "Let's begin."_

_ Hei went through the motions of the obstacle course just like he was trained: by instinct. Dodge knife. Avoid sensor. Climb wall. Sight target. Take aim. Fire. Jump onto ledge. Fire at another target. Avoid spotlight. Leap to the horizontal pole. Swing to safety._

_ As the new agents showcased their skills, their soon-to-be mentors scribbled furiously at their clipboards; all but one, that is. The latecomer had her head bowed and the clipboard folded into her arms._

_ After each new agent had his turn at the obstacle course, their former instructor stepped forward to offer them some parting words. Hei didn't listen to most of the speech, but he paid close attention to the role of their mentors. They could use any method of training they saw fit, which included but was not limited to: starvation, sleep deprivation, physical injury, emotional trauma, etc._

_ The instructor finished his monologue and left. One by one, the senior agents called for the newcomer they were to train. Hei waited as each pair left the course until he and the short woman were alone. He stayed in his place, waiting for her to respond._

_ He waited. And waited. And waited. The only sound was their combined breathing, his short and impatient, hers long and deep._

_ Hei sighed and cautiously stepped closer to the woman. Her eyes were shut tight, and she looked rather peaceful; she must be sleeping. He reached out to gently tap her shoulder but was stopped short by a strong grip._

_ The next thing he knew was flat on his stomach, his arm twisted painfully behind his back, and face shoved against the floor by what he suspected was a foot. Above him, the woman was stretching out a yawn to its fullest._

_ After cracking her neck a couple times, she released him. Hei slowly rose to his feet while carefully studying her out of the corner of his eye. She rubbed her neck and yawned once more before turning to gaze at him._

_ "I guess that could be considered your first lesson: don't underestimate sleeping people, or something like that." Her voice was slightly musical, even in an uninterested and bored tone. _

_ "From now on, though, it's up to you to discern the lesson. My name is Lan, and you are..." she clicked her tongue a few times while riffling through the pages on the clipboard to locate his name. "Hei. Well, Hei, let's get started."_

_ She tossed the clipboard over her shoulder, which was soon followed by the pencil. Lan walked briskly toward the door, evidently not caring about the mess she was leaving behind._

_ Hei hesitated before following and answering with a "Yes, ma'am."_

_ She froze and then turned to face him while putting her hands belligerently on her hips. "Do I look like a 'ma'am' to you?" Hei stood straight and shook his head, surprised by her new attitude. "That's right. I told you my name, and I expect you to use it."_

_ Under her dangerous stare, he stuttered out, "Yes, Lan." She nodded her approval, and together they walked through the entrance doors and into the facility._

_ After a few minutes of walking, they passed one of Hei's fellow newcomers. His mentor was holding him against the wall by his neck and whispering insults to him. Hei tore his eyes from the scene just in time to witness Lan reach out and take a knife from the mentor's belt. Either the man didn't notice or didn't care because his eyes never left the poor trainee._

_ Lan led them down a number of corridors before they reached a small vacated training yard. It had the same setup as a basketball court, even containing a score board but was without the hoops. She walked to the very center and stabbed the knife into the dirt ground before turning to address him._

_ "The goal of this training exercise is to incapacitate me. That means put me in a position where I am easily killed. Use whatever means you see fit. Remember your training. Yada, yada, blah, blah, blah._

_ "You'll be on your side," She pointed to the east end. "And I'll be on mine." Her finger swiveled to the west end. "When the buzzer sounds," She nodded to the scoreboard. "We'll run to meet at the middle and duke it out. Simple enough, right?"_

_ Hei nodded and went to his corner. Lan first went to the scoreboard to set up the timer, then went to her side. Both agents took starting positions and waited for the beep._

_ When it came, Hei ran straight for the knife. As he reached down to grab it, he felt Lan's foot slap down on his back, sending him off balance and crashing into the ground. Before he could regain his wits, she had his arms pinned with her legs and her hands ready to snap his neck. She leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Kill."_

_ She got up off him and returned to her corner after resetting the timer. The next time, she ran past the knife and slid into his legs. Her arm swung around to grip his windpipe, and once again, all she said was "Kill."_

_ The next round, Hei avoided the knife completely, which turned out to be a stupid mistake. Lan took the knife and within a few seconds was able to point it at his heart and whisper, "Kill."_

_ Time after time, she disabled him. He knew he shouldn't be shocked by her strength, considering she was a senior agent, but damn! She looked like she would break if he touched her too hard, yet she was able to fling him across the training yard as if he was feather light._

_ After being pinned for what felt like the thousandth time, Hei could do little more than lay on the ground panting heavily. Lan stood next to him for a moment before reaching out a hand to help him up._

_ "Welcome to the Syndicate, Hei. Let's get some food."_

Food seemed to be the key word that woke him up. He was no longer sitting on the sofa, but rather laying on it with a pillow under his head, a blanket over his shoulders and a stuffed dinosaur under his arm. A familiar smell was wafting from the kitchen, but he couldn't quite place it.

Hei swung his legs off the couch and lifted himself up to a sitting position. He ran his hand through his hair and scratched the back of his head before noticing Jin watching him from the chair.

"Do you know what she's cooking?" the contractor asked while reaching out to hand the dinosaur to Jin.

The doll slid off the chair to take the proffered toy. "Tamagoyaki." he answered and then made his way to the dining room.

Hei placed his elbows on his knees and rubbed his temples. He sat a moment longer before heaving himself up to join the boy.

**Author's note:**

Tamagoyaki is kind of like a Japanese omelet. It sounds really yummy right now, and I'm starving. Maybe I shouldn't write when I'm hungry.

Anyway, the question: I am thinking of skipping a few months in the story, just to move the plot along. I think it's kind of redundant to put in every single contractor the new team defeats just to get them to the point I want them to be. So, what is your opinion? I promise to take anything you, my readers, have to say into account.

With that said, please review.


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